Similarities Between Langston Hughes And Gwendolyn Brooks

When it comes to black literature, I only can connect to three writers May Angelou, Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks. All three of these writers talk about things I can relate to. All three of these writers wrote poems, so people can see their pain and what they were going thru. Maya Angelou was a famous black poet and an award-winning author. She had a lot of talents such as screenwriting, dancing, singing and being a civil rights activist. She was known for a famous poem I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings. Maya Angelou wrote a lot of beautiful poems for the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement. Langston Hughes was a black poet that was a novelist and playwriter. Langston was one of the first poets to use the art form of jazz poetry.

He was known for being colorful when portraying the black culture and life in America. He was a writer during the Harlem Renaissance. Gwendolyn Brooks was a black poet and teacher. She was the first black woman poet to win the Pulitzer Prize. When she first started to write she would only focus on urban blacks in her poems. She was known for her style of folksy narrative. She was a writer during the Black Arts Movement.

Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Gwendolyn Brooks were all poets that were bringing light to black people social problems. They all were authors of great books. All three of them were writing poems to shine a light on different black social issues. Gwendolyn was writing her poems to deal with social issues like the roles of women. Langston showed different examples of themes in his poems, for example, he used music like jazz has a distinct and expressive tone, often depicting tales of alienation, and loneliness." He used the theme of dignity he praises their beauty, and he wanted to shine on black's strength, endurance, and soul. He also wrote about aspiration Langston had many poems that talks about hidden dreams, lost dreams and fighting for the dream. One of the biggest themes he had was racism he discussed his living situation, but he also discusses hope that one day, the racial inequality in America will start to even out. Langston even used wisdom to discuss how people learn from their past whether it’s a good or bad experience. The last theme he used was self-actualization where it allowed someone to see the inner them and fight against everything that doubts upon them. When it comes to Maya Angelou in her poems, she talks about slavery, she was one of the most judgmental people when it came to slavery. She had another theme in her poems which was gender inequality where she talks about how women face complications in society; women are victims that aren't treated fairly. Finally, she talks about love.

All the poets have some of the same themes such as racism, but Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou were bigger on racism in their poems.

Langston poem I, Too, talked about racism and how one day he will be able to eat at the main dining table. He talks about how he has darker skin, but he's still American. With Maya Angelou Still I Rise, in the poem she talks about how people belittle black people but she still trying to rise. With both poets the discuss oppression and how they both want to be accepted in Americas society. On the other hand, Gwendolyn Brooks and Maya Angelou had something in common the way they talk about women in their poems. In the poem Phenomenal Woman, Maya Angelou talks about how a woman's body is special from every curve to the way she walks. She describes why a woman is phenomenal. Gwendolyn Brooks poem The Mother talks about how the challenges that a woman must go through with they decide to give up a child. She describes the love that she could've had with the child that she gave up on. When these poets talk about woman, they are looking at the women in two different lights. First Maya talks about how great a woman is, and then Brooks talks about how it's hard to deal with abortions as a woman and

mother.

When reading all the poets poems, you see that Langston Hughes was a more serious writer. He wanted to show people the ground he walked on and how the world was very cruel to him. In his poem Let America be America Again, he covers many different topics such as inequality he discusses how this land wasn't made for him. He realizes in this poem that he wants the America Dream that everyone in America has. In this poem, he was different because he talked about the dream everyone should be chasing. He wanted to show people how they should be treated in America. In the poem, I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings, Maya Angelou discusses her childhood how she was wanted to have self-acceptance and wanted to belong. In this poem. she sits and wonders what things can make the world right again. Gwendolyn Brooks poem To Be In Love, talks about what love should feel like she describes love to so many different things in her poem. All three of these poems were the black poets best work and they all have something in common they all describe love in the poems they all had love for something Brooks had love for someone, Angelou had love for finding out who she was, and Langston had love for trying to get the American Dream.

Gwendolyn Brooks was a little different compared to the other two poets her poems were always short simple and sweet. Her poems made you think about your childhood and some positive aspects of life. When it came to the other two poets their poems where more depressing because they brought depth into their literature.